Unloading mechanism for bottle washers



April 29, 1930. i. R. HIPPENMEYER UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE WASHERSFiled July 18; 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,az 7 J44 75 JrZum7 r April 29,1930. R. HIPPENMEYER 1,756,553

UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE WASHERS Filed July 18, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 193i) IRVING HIIPPENMEYER, OF\VAUKESHA,

Tsar we;

WISCONSIN, assronon TO THE CREAMERY PACKAGE MFG. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINQIS, A CQEPOPJATEON OF ILLINOIS UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR BOTTLEWASHERS Application filed July 18,

. The invention relates to bottle washing apparatus, more particularlyof the type having aseries of travelling bottle pockets which carry thebottles over washing and rinsing ets.

The object of this invention is to provide improved unloading mechanismwhich automatically discharges the treated bottles from the pockets andplaces them upon a conveyor ready to be conducted to the fillingmachine.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent in the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention which I haveselected for illustration in the accompanying drawings. It will beunderstood however, that changes in form, construction and arrangementmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scopeof the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 represents a plan view of an endportion of a bottle washing machine, illustrating a portion of theseries of bottle pockets and their supporting belt moving in ahorizontal plane, to gether with my improved unloading mocha nism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the portion of the machine represented inFigure 1.

Fig. .3 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fractional view in side elevation of a portionof theunloading mechanism.

Inthe drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates upright frame memberssupported upon suitable base members 2 and carrying at their upper endsthe top frame members 3. WVithin the substantially rectangular areaenclosed by the upper frame members, are a pair of sprockets 4 and 5,mounted on upright shafts 6 and 7 having suitable bearings supportedupon the frame structure. Operatively engaged withthe sprockets 4 and 5is an endless conveyor belt preferable of link construction as indicatedat 8. Outwardly spaced from the conveyor chain 8 is a stationary rail 9mounted on the frame structure in any suitable manner, that hereinillustrated comprising the supporting columns 10. Spaced from the endportion of the rail 9, and supported outwardly therefrom by the 1927.Serial No. 206,483.

extended frame members 11 and 12, is a con veyor belt 13 mounted upon apair of rotating drums 14 and 15 and having the intermediate portion ofits run resting upon a stationary table 16 having an inwardly anddownwardly curved apron 17.

A series of bottle pockets 18, having open lower ends and adapted toreceive individual bottles in inverted posit-ion, are supported upon theconveyor chain by means of a hinged co nnection including a laterallyextending bracket 19 formed on the respective pocket structures andpivoted to suitably constructed links in the conveyor chain, the pivotalaxis being horizontal. The opposite sides of the respective bottlepockets are provided with similar laterally extending brackets uponwhich are mounted rollers 20 which bear.

upon the upper side of the rail 9 and normally versely curved portions26. The latter are provided at their upper extremities with a cross bar27 extending laterally adjacent the inner sides of the bottle pockets18. Mounted on the shaft 25 is an operating crank lever 28 which ispivotally connected with a rod 29, the latter being pivoted at its lowerend upon one arm of a centrally pivoted lever 30 mounted on a gearhousing 36.

The opposite arm of the lever 30 is prothe frame. A ratchet wheel 45 ismounted on the shaft 43. The rocker arm 42 carries a dog 46 whichengages within the ratchet notches of the wheel 45 and effects the intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel. A bevel gear 47 rotating in fixedrelation to the ratchet 45 is in mesh with a pinion 48 secured to thesprocket supporting vertical shaft 7.

The housing shaft 33 carries outwardly of the wall of the housingasprocket upon which is mounted a chain belt 49 in driving engage mentwith a sprocket mounted on a shaft 50 having suitable bearings securedupon the framemembers and extending outwardly beneath the upper run ofthe conveyor 13. Upon the latter shaft is mounted the driving drum 15upon which the conveyor is endwardly supported.

Between the upper and lower'runs of the conveyor 13 is a horizontalshaft 51 mounted in suitable bearings supported from the table 16. Theshaft 51 has secured'thereto a pair of goose-neck shaped arms 5:2 and 53upon which are secured across bar 54, the latter supporting a slideplate 55. The shaft 51 is operated by means of a crank 56 securedthereto, at the outward end of which is pivto effect the operatingcycles hereinafter de-.

scribed.

As the bottle pockets 18 are advanced through the'machine with anintermittent motion effected by the ratchet wheel 45 operated by thereciprocating dog 46. andtransmitting intermittent rotation through thegears 47 and 48 and the sprocket 5,'limited groups of pockets, hereinillustrated as four, are successlvely positioned above the plvotedsection 23 of the rail 9. The conveyor chain is at rest during thereverse movement ofthe dog 46, and by the operation of the cam 32, thebrackets 24 supportingthe section 23 of the rail are lowered about theshaft 25, and the pockets 18 permitted to swing by gravity about theirhinged axes on the conveyor chain. Should any of the pockets fail todrop with the lowering of their under support, the

' 7 cross bar 27 carried by'the upper arms of the brackets strike thepockets laterally and force them downwardly. The lowered positions ofthe pivoted rail section and bottle pockets are illustrated in Fig. '4.In this figure also the slide plate 55 is shown to be in the positionassumed in timed relation to the lowering of the bottle pockets, so thatthe bottles carried in the pockets slide out of the latter upon theslide plate and stop in abutment with the curved apron 17 of the'outerconveyor table usually positioned adjacent the washer for fillingthewashed bottles.

It will here be apparent that the bottles after having received thewashing and rinsing treatment common to such machines, are automaticallydischarged and delivered to the filling machines without'being'handledmanually, this automatic discharge being ac complished by a snnplesynchronized 111601133 nism of open construct on, -read1lyaccess1b1e formaintenance and repalr. I claim as my invention:

7 1. In a bottle washing apparatus, an mter mittently operable belt, aseries of bottle pockct-s having lateral hinged attachment to said belt,a stationary track adapted to support said pockets in upright position,said track.

having a separable section adapted to-be 10wered whereby a group ofbottle pockets thereby supported-may be lowered to invert said pockets,and a bar mountedin rigid relation to said movable section of track andadapted to engage said pockets-to force themdown following the loweringof said sections of] track. 4

2. In a bottle washing apparatus, an intermittently operable belt, aseries of bottle] pockets having lunged attachment at one-side thereofto said belt, a stationary track affording opposite lateral support forsaid pockets 1n upright position, said track having a sep-- arablesection, pivoted brackets supporting said section and adapted to lowersaid section and thereby lower a group; of bottle pockets supportedthereon, said hinged brackets have a ing rigid arms extending adjacentsaid bottle pockets oppositely to said section of track,

and a bar supported by said arms adapted to engage said pockets to swingthem about their hinged attachment with the loweringof said section oftrack. I

In testimony whereof,l have hereunto "af fixed my signature.

IRVING B. HIPPEN MEYER.

